From Dusk Till Dawn
by a-damson-in-distress
Summary: She was searching for a purpose. He was thirsting for revenge. Little do they know their fates intertwined centuries ago. Once he broke free from his banishment, he would usher in a new dusk. Until he realised that she was his dawn. Historical/mythological AU.
1. Chapter 1

_She heard screams. The clash of metal. The rumbling of the earth. The crackling of fire._

 _There was a man in the middle of it all. Clad in armour, splattered with blood. Everything around him withered and died. The very earth underneath his feet turned bleak and barren whenever he took a step._

 _She could see herself, as if her spirit had left her body and was hovering over her form. She was standing there, surrounded by the carnage, watching their futile attempts to stop him._

 _When there were no more opponents, he turned to her._

 _As he raised his head, his fair fell out of his face, revealing crimson eyes staring right at her._

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes and lazily let her gaze follow the sparrow that had just awoken her by flapping its wings right next to her ear. It inspected her curiously, cocked its head to the right, and took off again.

Sakura let out a sigh observing the little bird, wishing that she too, could let herself be carried away by the soft caress of the wind. Alas, she was bound to her own little bird cage. A splendid and luxurious one, granted, but a cage nonetheless. Her mother Tsunade had made it undoubtedly clear over the years that Sakura was the most precious thing in the universe to her and that she would watch over like a hawk watching over its unhatched eggs. To Sakura's chagrin, she did just that.

The young woman was aware that she was weaker than most and that her mother's constant attention wasn't entirely unwarranted. But Tsunade was so adamant in her care that she did not even once let Sakura leave her palace and explore what was on the other side of its ivory gates.

Maybe it has something to do with that dream I always have, Sakura thought to herself. She confronted her mother many times about the man with the crimson eyes she kept seeing in the dark hours of the night, yet she never received an answer. Whenever she brought up her dream, Sakura would witness her mother's form stiffen a little, as if she were anticipating an ambush any second. Her caramel brown eyes that usually shone with unshakable pride and courage would show just a slight hint of fear. Tsunade would always regain her composure, though, pat her daughter on the head, and say that her mind was far too bright to occupy it with just one tiny little dream.

The pinkette sighed, got up from the balcony she fell asleep on, and headed towards her mother's chambers. Sauntering through the high halls of her mother's palace, she thought to herself that maybe today was the day she finally got some answers. For some reason, Sakura had the feeling that this day was special. Like something immensely important had happened on this day in the past. Or something immensely important was yet to happen on this day today.

Smoothing out the wrinkles of her silk dress, she came to a halt in front of the wooden doors leading into her mother's spacious office. As always, Tsunade, being renowned for her impeccable perception, had sensed beforehand she was coming and told her daughter to enter just as Sakura was about to knock.

Pushing the heavy doors open was always straining for Sakura, given her generally weak condition. Yet her mother insisted on having her do straining tasks like these on a regular basis, in the hopes of building up her strength. Sakura had obediently been doing that for as long as she can remember, but nothing helped to counter the constant frailty she seemed to be carrying around with her like iron shackles weighing her down.

Sitting down on a cushion in front of her mother, she placed the book she had just read on the low desk separating the two of them, and whispered, "I finished it." The older blonde was busy writing, not once looking up from the brush she guided across the piece of parchment. "And, did you like it?"

"It was exciting. But not as exciting as that dream I had again."

A crack could be heard as the brush suddenly snapped in two. Her mother cursed under her breath, sighed, and placed the broken brush next to the parchment, careful not to let any ink drop on the document. Caramel brown eyes looked up and scrutinised the pink-haired girl in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you this, child? That dream of yours is just that: a dream. We all have much more important issues to think about than dreams, and that includes you."

"Easy for you to say, you've been the goddess of healing for ages. Kakashi has been the god of lightning since forever. Naruto has been the god of friendship for as long as I can think. What am I the goddess of? What is my purpose? What should I occupy my oh-so-bright mind with?"

"For some gods their purpose is obvious from the beginning. For others, it takes time to be revealed. You are still young, the youngest of all the dawn gods, in fact. You haven't even begun to crawl and yet you already want to run." Sakura snorted and turned her head in annoyance. As if she hadn't heard that a million times already.

It was true, with her 500 years she was a child among the gods. But out of all the other deities she knew, there was not a single one who had to wait this long for their true purpose to reveal itself.

A look of helplessness settled on Sakura's fair features; a look Tsunade was only too familiar with. She had to see it time and time again whenever she was forced to rebuff her daughter's attempts at finding out more than she should.

But today was Sakura's birthday, the blonde goddess remembered, so she decided to turn a blind eye on her usual reticence.

Clearing her throat to get her daughter's attention, she spoke, "I know you will not rest until I satisfy at least a tiny part of that endless curiosity of yours. So I will tell you a story that you do not know yet, as a gift for your birthday."

Sakura's face still showed the same sulkiness, but Tsunade saw her ears perk up in attentiveness.

"On this day, exactly 500 years ago, I heard a human couple pray to me. They said they found a baby in the woods that morning, but it was weak. Its skin was pale, and it was shivering and coughing. Being the good-natured people they are, they took the baby in, clothed it, fed it, sat it by the fire. All day, they took care of the baby, trying to build up its strength, hoping it would last the night. When they realised it wouldn't, they prayed to the goddess of healing to help the baby. I gazed upon the child and realised there was much more to it than meets the eye. What I sensed then was not human weakness, but the essence of divinity. So instead of healing the baby, I decided to take it with me instead and to raise it as my own. And 500 years later that baby has grown into the most beautiful, albeit stubborn young lady to ever grace the face of the heavens."

The pout had left Sakura's face by now and was replaced by eager interest.

Although she knew that she was not Tsunade's actual daughter, her mother had never told her how exactly she came under her care. This was the very first time her mother had divulged anything about how she found her or the day she came into existence.

Replaying the story in her mind, Sakura could feel the gears in her head spinning. She looked up at her mother curiously and asked, "You told me once that divine entities emerge as a result of something. Suffering spawns the goddess of healing. Inequity spawns the god of justice. There is always a catalyst for the existence of every god and goddess directly related to their purpose. What was the catalyst for my existence? What happened 500 years ago that spawned _me_?"

There it was again, Sakura realised. That sudden stiffness, that flash of fear in her mother's eyes that she would only see when she asked about her recurring dream. Tsunade sighed, grabbed another brush from the holder, and dipped it in ink before continuing to write her unfinished document. "Enough story telling now. I believe there are still some unread books scrolls at the library for you to sift through."

Sakura wasn't going to get any more answers today, she realised; the river of her mother's talkativeness had ebbed away. Sighing in defeat, she rose from her position and headed towards her chambers. Sakura had a feeling, however, that she was not going to sleep tonight.

That nagging premonition about this day being a special one just would not go away. Whatever important event she was expecting to happen had to occur tonight. And so, she would wait for it.

* * *

His time had finally come, he couldfeel it.

After centuries of unjust imprisonment, he was going to return at last, and with him an insatiable hunger for vengeance.

What fools they had all been to think they could have sealed him away for all eternity. A foolishness they were going to regret bitterly as soon as he broke free from his banishment.

Just a little longer, he thought, and the seal would be weak enough for him to dispel.

Tonight, he decided, he would wreak havoc upon the heavens.

* * *

 **Note:** New idea, new setting, new pairing. I hope you like it. Depending on the feedback I get on this, I might wrap it up in a few chapters or actually make it a more in-depth and extensive fanfic. So reviews are always welcome. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura first noticed it when the leaves started to fall one by one.

She kept her gaze fixated on the many trees and flowers in her mother's vast garden, which were usually in full bloom all year. Unlike in the human world, there was no such thing as withering or decay in the heavens. At least not as far as Sakura knew. She never once saw or heard of a barren tree in all her 500 years, so why were they shedding their leaves now?

Putting down the book she had been reading, the pink-haired goddess got up from her seat and walked down the steps of her porch and into the garden. As she let her hands graze over the plants slowly losing their colour, Sakura was contemplating alerting her mother but thought better of it.

The countless rejections of her attempts to go out and explore the world on her own came to mind, how lonely and isolated she felt, how much she craved to have just _something_ that is not controlled by her mother, that is just _hers_ , hers alone.

Whatever this was that was plaguing their garden, Sakura decided, she was going to find it out on her own, shielded from her mother's prying eyes.

She continued her stroll through the field of flowers, noticing that leaves continued to fall here and there and that blossoms started to wither slowly, exchanging their vibrant colours for a dull grey. Only when she came to a halt in front of the cherry tree orchard, did she notice something even more peculiar.

While all other plants in her mother's garden were slowly fading away, her cherry trees were not. The young goddess looked puzzled at the myriad of sakura trees her mother had planted for each of her 500 birthdays. Surrounded by a garden of decay, they still stood strong. Sakura couldn't help but think if these trees could be tied to her by more than just her birthday and the same name. Gazing up at the pink petals stubbornly refusing to leave their branches, she realised that she too, stood strong against this decay. And not just that, she stood strong against her own constant frailty.

At first, Sakura thought she was imagining things, but she did notice herself become stronger in the recent months, albeit ever so slightly. She had chalked it up to eating more or sleeping longer, yet she was beginning to doubt that now.

What if that premonition has something to do with it, Sakura thought to herself. All day she had a feeling that her 500th birthday was somehow going to be remarkable, that something extraordinary was supposed to occur. What if this was the night she gained her full strength and found her true purpose? What if the withering garden was a sign of her old, weak self dying and making way for a full-fledged goddess?

A rush of excitement filled Sakura at the thought of finally being on par with the rest of the gods; crushing boulders like her mother and lifting mountains like Jiraiya.

Sakura was excitedly thinking about all the things she would finally be able to do, that she almost missed it: the low rumbling of the earth, the sudden drop in temperature, the foreboding darkness covering the moon and suffocating its light.

It came from the west, she realised. She turned in the direction and stared at the unfurling gloom. Somewhere far behind her, Sakura could faintly make out her mother's voice commanding her to get back inside. As the darkness kept spreading, however, she tuned out everything else.

There was a force in the west that drew her in and pulled her towards the source of the eclipse like a blazing light attracting an unsuspecting butterfly.

Feeling the earth underneath her feet rumble in sync to her own heartbeat, Sakura started walking towards the darkness as if in a trance. A small part of her knew she should heed her mother's warnings, but her mind was completely blank now, safe for the unexplainable need to go west. As her feet carried her deeper into the dark, her form became enveloped in pitch-black mist, obscuring her sight and rendering her blind. Yet she still knew where she needed to go.

Something called to her beyond the darkness, some gravitational pull the force of which she had never experienced in all her life.

Images of her recurring dream suddenly flashed across her mind: a bloody battle long forgotten, a man leaving death and decay in his wake, and crimson eyes staring right into her soul.

The rumbling underneath her feet stilled all of a sudden, and the black mist stopped advancing. Seconds ticked by where the heavens stood still.

Nothing moved.

Nothing breathed.

Silence.

And then, all of a sudden, roaring thunder rolled over the sky and a shattering earthquake split the ground beneath her feet as the ominous force in the west unleashed itself upon the heavens in all its dark and destructive glory.

Sakura held her breath in awe of this spectacle. There was something beautiful in this devastation, she thought to herself, despite its terrifying nature.

Watching the earthquake lay waste to her surroundings, Sakura realised suddenly it seemed to avoid her. While all the trees in her mother's garden were swallowed up by the depths of the earth, she stood in the middle of it all, untouched, unscathed, unwavering.

Again she heard her mother call out to her in desperation, and just as Sakura was about to turn around to look for her, a blazing red light illuminated the sky all of a sudden, releasing a wave of energy that hit Sakura in the deepest part of her being. The young goddess could feel the unknown force bubble up inside her, spreading through her soul and filling every inch of her body.

Never in her life had Sakura felt this strong, this energetic, this _fulfilled_. It was like a part of her that she had unknowingly been missing all her life had finally returned and etched itself into her very essence.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, her mind was suddenly overwhelmed with images of black and red. She could feel herself getting dizzy.

The last thing she remembered before her body hit the ground was a name that her mind repeated over and over again like a prayer.

 _Madara_.

* * *

He could feel it the instant he broke free. As soon as his form materialised in the heavens with an earth-shattering quake, Madara sensed a powerful force in the east that was unknown to him.

Curious, he thought. Despite being banished for centuries, he still clearly remembered every little detail of his old life in the heavens, including all the divine entities presiding in their respective palaces.

How could he forget; after all, he was the one that annihilated most of them.

But this… _being_ was new, he realised, most likely created after his banishment. How intriguing it was that something so young already exerted such a pull on him, Madara mused. Whatever it was that was drawing him in from the east, however strange it may be, it did not disturb him. Madara knew, after all, that nothing withstood the might of a dusk god.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, inhaling the heavenly air that he was deprived of for so long. When he opened his eyes again, he gazed upon the heavens for the first time in centuries.

In the distance, he could see valleys crowned with a sea of flowers, rivers running through fields of green like blue veins, and palaces scattered throughout the lands and sitting high on mountain tops. At first glance, the heavens seemed like the perfect idyll, an untouchable fortress immutable to decay or destruction.

Madara knew, however, that even the home of the gods was susceptible to annihilation. Especially when that annihilation was brought upon by him.

His return to the heavens was preceded by a wave of devastation, and so, on closer inspection, Madara could see that the valleys were rather crowned by a sea of barren trees and withered flowers, the rivers were nigh on dried up, and many of the palaces lay in ruins.

Pleased with himself and the fact that even in his still weakened state, he could cause such level of destruction, he let his gaze wander across the lifeless landscape, until he felt a presence behind him.

Smirking devilishly, he grasped the hilt of his katana and spoke, "I was wondering who would be foolish enough to greet me upon my return. But you always were the foolish kind, weren't you… Jiraiya?"

"It is you who was foolish enough to return, Madara. We defeated you once, and we will do it again."

A deep chuckle escaped his lips. It had always amused him how naïve the dawn gods were, especially when they thought they actually stood a chance against him.

He sensed the arrival of more deities gathering behind Jiraiya; he could hear them ready their little weapons for a fight they were doomed to lose from the beginning.

Madara's smirk grew when he sensed their dread. They were bold enough to confront him, he had to give them that. But underneath their façade, he could practically smell the fear emanating from their weak little forms. And weakness disgusted him.

"Is that all you could muster to fight me, Jiraiya? I'm disappointed."

"Don't worry, Madara. Your grand entrance alerted all the heavens to your presence. Soon, you will be dealing with the full force of all the gods."

Madara couldn't help but chuckle at his retort. He drew his katana and turned around to face his opponents. Slowly raising his head to inspect his enemies, Madara could sense their fear growing as they laid eyes on a dusk god for the first time in centuries.

Surrounded by an aura of dread and death, Madara knew he was the epitome of terror. Even the mightiest of gods would crumble to misery in his presence. After all, there was a reason the dawn gods were only able to seal him all those years ago, and not kill him.

Staring at the lesser gods facing him, Madara could see their eyes widen in terror as they realised he was preparing for the fight. "Well then, let's start with some warm-up exercises, shall we?" He raised his long katana with the blade pointing to the ground. Grinning deviously, he lowered his arm and stabbed the point of the sword into the earth, releasing a shattering quake and splitting the ground into a massive crater. The cracks underneath their feet grew to giant holes, swallowing up some of his opponents.

Madara watched with malicious glee as the lesser gods tried desperately to hold on to the edge of the holes, frantically screaming for help, dreading to plunge down into the fiery pits of the underworld where not even gods are spared the torture awaiting there. A rush of excitement filled Madara at hearing their dreadful screams and seeing their frightful forms tremble upon witnessing his terrifying power.

He hadn't felt this alive in ages. Madara thrived on fear, and after centuries of imprisonment, he was finally going to taste it again.

He picked up his katana and strode towards Jiraiya and the other remaining deities. "Your god wants you to dance for him," he exclaimed with a grin, raising his sword.

In one fell swoop Madara separated the head of a young god from his shoulders, his grin widening as he watched the body slump to the ground to his feet.

His pitch black eyes pierced the trembling forms of his enemies, instilling terror in their hearts and rendering them motionless. Not even an experienced warrior like Jiraiya dared to take a step.

He was going to enjoy this thoroughly, Madara thought to himself.

The war for his vengeance had begun, and he just drew first blood.

* * *

As he had expected, they were no match for him. Madara cut through the lesser gods who dared to stand against him with the experience of countless battles won and even more lives taken.

After they seemed to have recovered from the initial shock of his return, many more gods came. Some who had to rashly put their fighting prowess to the test and lose their heads in the process; others who simply had to confirm their suspicion and hurriedly left again after witnessing his bloodlust.

Madara, however, did not care about that; he deliberately let Jiraiya and some others alive. Nobody would spread the word about the carnage he caused better than those who had witnessed it first-hand.

But for now, Madara decided, he would retreat.

Even though he missed the thrill of battle and even though his power was still unparalleled by any of the dawn gods, it would be unwise to overexert himself at this point. After all, Madara knew it would take some time for his true power to return and for his Sharingan to finally reawaken.

Until then, he would make himself comfortable. And what was more fitting for the mightiest of all gods for proving his superiority than constructing his palace on the highest peak of the mountain range overlooking the heavens.

As Madara walked across the plateau he chose for his residence, stones, bricks, and wooden beams whirled all around him, stacking themselves up and covering the ground to form walls and floors. Pillars erected themselves to support the ceiling as if they were controlled by some unseen force; lamps ignited themselves to provide light; gold, silver, and gems placed themselves in every chamber, adorning every corner of the magnificent residence. Before long, Madara was standing on the balcony of a splendid palace perfectly representing his divine nature: cold, sombre, and most of all, pitch-black.

As his long robe fluttered in the morning wind, Madara let his eyes wander across the valleys beneath him. The dark veil of the night was just about to be pierced by the first sunlight from the east. Dawn broke free from the clutches of the night and would reign over the world for the next few hours, until it was again replaced by dusk, in an endless dance of death and rebirth.

As he kept his gaze fixated on the sunrise, the raven-haired god felt it again: that inexplicable pull from the east. It was the first thing he had felt as soon as he stepped foot in the heavens after his banishment. Having been engaged in battle soon after his arrival, he had paid it no attention at the time.

But now, there was no ignoring it. Madara felt the unknown attraction so clearly it was almost tangible.

He could not yet explain what exactly that force was; he could only tell that it was very young, the youngest among all the divine entities he could sense in the heavens.

Taking a sip of his wine, the dusk god decided he would look into this peculiarity as soon as his full power returned.

But for now, he needed to rest.

As sleep took over his mind, Madara's dreams were haunted by flashes of pink and green and an orchard of sakura trees standing amidst ruins.

* * *

 **Note:** Thank you all for the overwhelming feedback. I honestly didn't expect this concept to be this well received. I really hope you like the second chapter. Let me know what you think of it. Enjoy. :)


	3. Chapter 3

"He is more ruthless than last time, and that's saying something."

"You were lucky he left you alive, Jiraiya. With those wounds even I had difficulties healing you."

"Tsunade is right, Jiraiya. Even in his weakened state we are no match for him. We must devise a plan before doing anything reckless like that again."

As Sakura passed her mother's chambers, she could hear the hushed whispers of the many gods who had gathered at their palace to convene a war council.

Three weeks had passed ever since that night when darkness was unleashed in the west. Every corner of the heavens shook with the force of the devastation, and many plants and trees withered away. Even though her mother was able to heal their garden, which was now in full bloom again, she could not heal everything.

The malign force in the west was felt below the heavens as well, as death and decay enveloped the human world, taking more lives with them than usual. For the first time in a long time, her mother had to tend to both mortals and gods, as many of her divine kin were hurt severely fighting the new member of their pantheon.

Though, as far as Sakura had heard, he was not new at all. She had only gathered bits and pieces of information about this deity, because everybody was adamantly keeping her in the dark, but what she did know was that he was old, practically ancient. There were even rumours about him being a dusk god.

 _But that would be impossible_ , Sakura mused silently, _the last dusk god was defeated eons ago._

She did not yet know why he suddenly reappeared, but for the last three weeks, he had done nothing but lay waste to the heavens. Fortunately, Sakura was still safe, as her mother's palace seemed to be too far away for his wrath to reach. At least for now.

Sakura's hand wandered to her chest, as she thought back to that night of darkness and devastation three weeks ago. When that blazing red light flashed across the sky, she had felt a surge of energy bursting from heart and rushing through her entire being. Never before had she felt so energetic and so full of power.

Alas, that feeling did not last. Upon awakening from her unconscious slumber, Sakura had reverted back to her old, weak self, and she did not like that one bit.

What was even more peculiar, her recurring dream plagued her longer and more often now. The blurry edges of her vision were more pronounced and detailed, and she felt the horror of the battle and the heat of _his_ gaze more intently.

Despite the many mysteries surrounding this deity and this enigmatic energy he emitted, the young goddess was certain of one thing: somehow, he must be tied to that unexplainable force pulling her to the west, since she only started feeling it since his arrival.

Something was telling Sakura there was more to this god than the pure annihilation he seemed to leave in his wake, and she was determined to find it out.

The pink-haired goddess was torn from her thoughts when she heard the doors to her mother's office open. She watched curiously as the war council exchanged ominous glances and hushed murmurs before everybody left Tsunade's chambers.

Sensing her mother approach her, Sakura laid down the book she had been pretending to read and looked up. "What were you discussing?"

Her mother sighed tiredly and waved her hand, conjuring a glass of wine that appeared out of thin air. Slumping down to the cushions next to Sakura, she took a generous gulp and groaned, "You know full well I will not answer that."

The young goddess turned to look intently at her mother. "Kakashi was on time for once, and he is _never_ on time, so it must be important."

"It is, as a matter of fact, but it still does not concern you. The only thing you need to know is that I have something urgent to take care of. It should not take too long, but while I am gone you are to remain at this palace, am I understood?"

A look of worry crossed Sakura's fair features and she furrowed her brows. "Are you going to confront… you know, _him_."

Tsunade's expression softened at hearing her daughter's concern. "Don't you worry about that. Besides, I'm not one of those weak lesser gods, it takes far more to bring me down."

"So you are going to fight him."

Sakura watched her mother's caramel eyes harden again. "I told you not to worry about it. I promise I shall be back in a few days. All you have to do it stay inside the palace and wait for me, understood?"

Averting her gaze and looking passively at her hands folded in her lap, Sakura sighed, "Yes, mother."

The pink-haired goddess played the role of the saddened daughter perfectly, disappointed to be left out of the action once again. Yet on the inside, Sakura could not wait for her mother to leave the palace. That would finally provide her with the much-needed opportunity to find out about that mysterious force in the west without having her efforts thwarted at every turn.

Tonight, Sakura decided excitedly, as soon as her mother left, she was going on an adventure.

* * *

It was a day's ride until the young goddess reached the first withered tree.

She had heard rumours that wherever this terrifying god went, he brought death and decay with him. It would seem his presence alone was enough to let all living things around him wither.

 _Just like the man in my dream_ , Sakura mused silently.

The goddess looked back and took in the heavenly nature behind her. Her mother's healing touch had enveloped most of the east and brought back life to the vegetation after its destruction three weeks prior.

Yet this barren tree in front of her was proof that not even the mighty goddess of healing could hold back the withering and putrefaction that always seemed to precede him.

As much as she mourned the death of nature in front of her, it meant _he_ was near.

Dismounting her horse, the goddess patted the animal and murmured, "This bleakness is no place for you. I will walk from now on. You return home." She led the stallion in the opposite direction facing east and commanded it to return to the palace.

Sakura then turned around again, took one deep breath to gather her courage, and started walking.

The pinkette did not know where exactly she was headed, but she knew if she just followed the call from the west there would be something or someone waiting for her at the end.

As her feet guided her through the bleak surroundings, Sakura started feeling a tingling in her chest. It started out as a tentative shiver, but the longer she walked the stronger it grew. Instead of tiring of her hike and needing a rest as was usual for her weak state, the pink-haired deity could feel herself grow more and more energetic the closer she got to the force in the west.

Sakura excitedly hoped that maybe she would once again experience that powerful surge she had felt three weeks ago.

 _Maybe if I find whatever is calling me from the west, I will finally receive my full powers_ , the young goddess thought eagerly.

Her excitement waned, however, when she suddenly saw signs of a battle. Weapons were lying all around her; some stuck in the earth and in tree trunks, others stuck in the lifeless forms of perished gods. Blood was pooling from their wounds and dying the ashen earth crimson. Fire crackled here and there, enveloping what little was left of nature in its burning blaze.

Sakura felt like she had been transported right into her recurring dream. She stood amidst death and ruin that very much resembled what she saw time and time again in her nightly vision.

Releasing a shaky breath, the pinkette closed her jade eyes for a moment, silently praying for the fallen gods. When she opened them again, she could feel a single tear roll down her cheek. It pained her that so many of her brethren had fallen in the last weeks, yet at the same time she was glad it was no one she knew personally.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she continued onwards. Despite the terrifying and cruel nature of this god, Sakura still had to confront him, she was certain of that.

The closer she got to him, the louder the sounds of battle grew. The frightened goddess realised she had to tread carefully now, lest she might be somehow embroiled in the fighting, too.

Just as she was about to dash around a tree to follow the battle screams, she saw a mop of blonde hair. She gasped in shock when she saw the body of the blonde goddess laying there, lifeless. Sakura's heart pounded in her chest at the thought of finding her mother's dead body on the battlefield. As much as the thought pained her, she had to find out who it was.

Tentatively, as if approaching a wild animal, she stumbled towards the form and knelt down beside it. There were no signs of life, yet the pinkette could not see the goddesses face, as she had her back turned to her. With shaky fingers, Sakura grasped the woman's cheek and turned it towards her, only to cry out in dismay.

It was Tsunade.

Sakura felt like life itself was knocked out of her in that moment as she was overwhelmed with heart-breaking grief. Unable to look at her battered body, Sakura closed her eyes and buried her face in her mother's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

Only when she felt a hand in her hair, did she look up again to find her mother's caramel eyes shining weakly at her. "My child," Tsunade whispered with a raspy voice.

Shocked, yet overjoyed to find her mother still alive, Sakura allowed herself for the first time to take in her form. Bruises and half-healed wounds marred her entire body, yet that was to be expected after a battle.

What surprised Sakura the most was the fact that suddenly, her mother looked like she had aged a thousand years in one day. The skin on her arms limply hung from her bones and her face showed deep wrinkles that have never been there before.

Suppressing another sob, Sakura frantically asked, "Mother, what happened to you?"

Tsunade sighed weakly and looked up at her daughter. Raising her wobbly fingers, she spoke a little clearer now, "You must flee. He _cannot_ have you."

"I'm taking you with me. We will go back to the palace and you will heal yourself, won't you?" Sakura asked in a pleading tone.

She watched as her mother lowered her hand again and laid it on her stomach. Tsunade closed her eyes and let out a pained sigh. "You are weak, you cannot carry me. I will only slow you down."

Sakura shook her head vehemently as a look of determination settled on her features. "I am not weak, mother. I can carry you, trust me. I am not leaving you here on this wretched battlefield to die alone."

One corner of Tsunade's lips turned up in a weak, albeit assuring smile. "I will not die, I promise... I still have my Sōzō Saisei… but you do not. Sakura, go back home…" Her mother's words grew weaker and weaker. Before closing her eyes, Tsunade activated her Creation Rebirth technique and Sakura watched in amazement as her wounds started to heal themselves. "He must not get to you," the blonde-haired goddess whispered weakly before falling in a deep slumber.

Sakura remained seated at her mother's side for a few more moments to make sure the most fatal wounds had closed up, debating with herself whether or not to really go back to safety or to find what she was looking for.

Her mother could not stop her, Sakura realised. And it would take at least a few hours before she woke up again, she knew that much. Tsunade would be none the wiser.

 _I have never got this close to him before, and I probably will not get another chance,_ she mused silently.

Getting up on her feet and sparing her mother one last look, she made a decision.

Sakura closed her eyes to concentrate on his presence, and then headed in his direction.

* * *

Madara felt a powerful force drawing nearer. It was that same divine entity he had felt the moment he reappeared in the heavens; the same longing feeling that had plagued him for the last three weeks.

It had never been this close before, however, and he finally had to find out what it was.

Sheathing his sword, the dusk god teleported himself away from his battle and towards the unknown presence.

He found himself in a forest. As he took his first step towards the young deity, the grass underneath his feet turned ashen, and the trees around him withered away.

A rush of excitement filled Madara as he felt the unknown pull grow more and more intense. The closer he got to the source, the stronger he seemed to become. He had not yet regained his full powers, but it seemed whatever this force was it was gradually restoring his might.

Smirking deviously, the dusk god pondered that maybe by confronting this deity he would finally be able to regain his full strength and unleash his true wrath.

As he strut through the forest and watched the vegetation around him die, Madara's gaze was suddenly drawn to a tree that stood in full bloom before him. For some peculiar reason, it did not bow to his putrefying aura.

But then he felt it, so strong and intense he could almost taste it: the powerful presence of the youngest of all the dawn gods right behind that tree.

Drawing his sword silently, he stepped around and raised the tip of his katana. His pitch-black eyes took in the sight in front of him.

A young goddess stood with her back turned to him and the blade of his sword pressed against her throat. She was wearing an elegant gown that was tied around her slim waist by a silky red ribbon. Her long tresses had the most peculiar of colours, that of sakura blossoms. One half cascaded down her slender back, the other was pinned in an intricate updo and secured with golden kanzashi with pearls and flowers dangling from them.

Madara did not expect something so… delicate to be the embodiment of such a powerful force. Nevertheless, he was intrigued.

Despite having the cold metal of his sword against her neck, Madara could not sense any fear coming from the petite goddess. Instead he could clearly feel a hint of… was that excitement? Her emotional state was not the only curiosity, however, as Madara felt himself reacting strangely to her presence as well. His mind viewed her as the enemy, yet his body undoubtedly felt the surprising need to be close to her.

Shaking away his bewildering thoughts, Madara decided to break their intense silence.

"A young doe like you has no business wandering around such dangerous woods."

When she opened her mouth to answer, Madara heard no traces of anxiety in her voice. Instead, she spoke with such as matter-of-factness as if she had known him all his life.

"I am not wandering around. I came here on purpose."

Chuckling deeply, Madara went on, "Is that so? And why, pray tell, would you do that? Have you not seen the bloodshed and carnage? You do not seem like a goddess who would willingly seek out a battle."

"I am not here to seek out a battle. I am here to seek out you," she spoke softly.

Her calm answer surprised him. Madara asked himself if she felt the same pull he did, if their meeting now was not by chance, but fate. He decided to find out how much she really knew for her age.

"I can sense that you are the youngest of all of them. You probably do not even know who I am."

The pink-haired goddess in front of him lightly shook her head before answering, "I do not. But I came to find out."

A sinister grin settled on the dusk god's lips as he teased, "You must have a death wish, then. Maybe I should grant you that wish."

Madara was just about to press his katana more firmly against her pale skin, when she raised her melodic voice again, "You can feel it too, can't you? That pull… between us…"

So he was right, she did feel the same force of attraction. He could sense there was more coming, so he silently waited for the goddess to continue.

"I have felt it for a three weeks now, ever since that night when the sky turned black and the earth shattered beneath my feet. Some force has been pulling me to the west and I did not know why. But now that you are here with me, I realise it has been pulling me towards you. And something tells me you feel it, too."

There was something akin to delight in her voice when she spoke to him, Madara realised. As if she were actually glad to be in his presence. As if he were some kind of beacon of hope that she had been searching for all her life to guide her through the very darkness that he himself was causing.

The raven god was torn from his confusing thoughts when he saw her head slowly turning to face him. Raising his blade, he pressed it firmly against her jaw, preventing her from looking at him.

He was no beacon of hope, Madara thought grimly. He was a warrior god, bringing misery upon the world and death upon his enemies. And she was no exception.

The dusk god finally realised why he reacted so intensely to her presence. For some reason, being close to her made him stronger. Madara could only imagine how much stronger he would be once he vanquished her. This young goddess might be holding the key to reawakening his full powers. And he wanted that key back.

"You are right, I have been feeling something. The thirst for revenge and the urge to punish each and every one of the dawn gods for my banishment. Unfortunately for you, you are one of them," he growled threateningly, leaning closer to her still form.

Madara removed his katana from her throat, and whispered, "Farewell, little doe."

Then, he ran his sword through her back.

* * *

 **Note:** Soooo yeah... Madara thrust something long and hard into Sakura, though it's by far not as pleasant as it could have been. Dirty humour aside, I hope you enjoyed it. As always, reviews keep me going so type away my lovelies. ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

"Farewell, little doe."

Madara tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword as he thrust it towards her back, only to see his katana shatter into a hundred pieces. The dusk god watched in bewilderment as the shards of his blade scattered around the pair, and the hilt of his no longer existent sword fell to the ground with a loud thump.

The raven god scanned his immediate surroundings for any sign of enemies or other weapons that might have destroyed his sword but found none. His wary gaze then returned to the petite form in front of him.

It was her, he realised. She destroyed his sword without even moving a muscle. She was insusceptible to the withering that encompassed his surroundings. She was insusceptible to the fear that penetrated everyone in his presence. She was insusceptible to _him_.

Narrowing his gaze on the young goddess before him, Madara could feel his anger rise. He prided himself in being the bringer of death, the destroyer of worlds – nothing and no one had ever withstood his wrath. Yet this feeble little goddess somehow seemed invulnerable to his ire.

Finally finding his match in the youngest of all the dawn gods was not something Madara ever expected. And he hated the unexpected.

"What are you?" he growled.

"I was hoping you could tell me," the young goddess whispered, before turning to face him.

Madara's gaze fell from her hair to the fine line of her jaw as she turned her head. Wandering upwards, it landed on her full lips, which were parted slightly as she drew in a nervous breath. His curious eyes drifted over the hollow of her high cheek bones and the narrow bridge of her small nose before finally meeting the gaze of two endlessly deep jade eyes.

In that instant, Madara felt his entire world shift into focus. As if he could finally, truly _see_ for the first time in his long life. See the heavens in all their bright colours, see the actions from his past all leading him to this moment – see _her._

As he lost himself in her breathtaking eyes, the dusk god could feel all of his wrath disperse from his mind and melt away in her peaceful aura. Without even thinking, he allowed himself to be enveloped by her soothing serenity, letting down his guard for once and basking in her beauty.

Madara could see the young goddess hesitantly raising a hand to his face. Just as her fingertips were about to touch his cheek, he vaguely perceived the buzzing of an arrow growing louder as it flew toward them.

He was so entranced by the young goddess that he almost missed deflecting it, were it not for the impenetrable black mist that wrapped itself protectively around the pair and shielded them from the arrow.

Both deities tore their gazes from each other as they realised the sudden danger they were in, inspecting their surroundings for the unwelcome intruder.

The dusk god suddenly felt a familiar pressure behind his eyes and sensed his full powers finally returning. As Madara opened his eyes and his crimson gaze landed on the god who had dared disturb this moment, he could feel his anger swell inside him once more. Gone was the tranquillity of before, replaced by blind rage and the inexplicable need to punish the fool for putting the young goddess in harm's way.

Growling threateningly, he stomped towards the enemy, whose eyes widened in fear as he watched the menacing form of the dusk god draw closer to him. Madara fixed his burning gaze on the deity and willed the black mist to envelop his whimpering form and lift it off the ground. As his prey was hanging limply in the air, shrouded in Madara's suffocating haze, the raven god raised his right arm and conjured a great spear ablaze with black flames.

Just as he was about to impale his enemy, Madara felt something warm encircle his torso, and he stilled.

"Please stop." It was barely a whisper, yet he heard it clearly.

"Please… so many have perished already, can you not spare one soul?"

She was asking him for mercy, he realised. The dusk god almost laughed at the absurdity of it. He was a god of many things – mercy had never been one of them.

The pink-haired goddess behind him noticed his hesitation, and Madara sensed her tighten her hold around his body. As she pressed herself closer to him, he could feel her calmness wash over his turbulent mind and sooth his violent rage once more.

The dusk god closed his eyes, breathed in her flowery scent, and allowed the spear in his right hand to dissolve. When he opened his eyes again, he let his Sharingan spin and entrapped his opponent's mind in an endless illusion of pain, rendering him unconscious.

The pink-haired goddess breathed a sigh of relief and let go of his body. Immediately, Madara missed the soothing sensation of her warm hands wrapped around him – a feeling that struck him as odd, as he had never allowed anyone to get this close to him before.

What was even more curious was his finally reawakening his Sharingan. Three weeks' worth of battle and carnage and not one of the raven god's enemies had endangered him enough for his eye power to activate.

Yet somehow, the unfamiliar need to protect this young goddess was all it took to make his eyes bleed red.

Thinking back to what happened just moments before, Madara realised another peculiar thing: he shielded not only himself, but her as well. His black mist had automatically enveloped both of them instead of just him, as it usually did when he was in danger. The dark haze that always accompanied him was the dusk god's ultimate defence mechanism that acted on his own instinct – whenever he even subconsciously felt threatened, the mist would immediately engulf him in an impenetrable shield of inky blackness.

Yet for the very first time in his long life, his subconscious seemed to have the urge to protect another person except himself.

Madara turned around to face the cause of his confusion and gazed into her green eyes. Much like moments before, she stared at him in utter awe. Not in fear because he was the terrifying dusk god. Not in hatred because he was wrought havoc upon the heavens. What he saw in her stunning jade eyes was wonder, curiosity, and admiration.

In that moment, he realised how fitting his nickname from before was – the young goddess really did look like a startled little doe with her eyes wide open – which caused a smirk to grace his aristocratic features.

She cocked her head in confusion and asked curiously, "What are you smiling at?"

Madara shook his head lightly as a sombre expression settled on his face.

"Do you have any idea of what you just did?"

"No… did I do something wrong?" she asked worryingly.

The raven god had to bite back another smile at her naiveté. He already gathered that she was the youngest of all the dawn gods. She admitted she did not even know who he was, let alone that she made him activate his Sharingan.

Madara would have to be patient with her.

"You told me you do not know what you are. I take it you have questions in need of answering."

The pink-haired goddess nodded her head in confirmation and looked at him expectantly.

There it was again, that look of hopefulness and faith, as if she viewed him as some kind of saviour who would show her all the wonders of the heavens.

He was no saviour, he had to remind himself. Yet for some reason, every fibre of his being begged him to keep her close, to hold her, to shield her from all the evil in the universe except his own.

And Madara had always been a selfish god.

"What if I told you that I have the answers you so desperately seek?"

He watched her nervously play with the hem of her sleeve as she contemplated her response. Hesitantly raising her head, she looked at him cautiously and murmured, "I take it you cannot just tell me now, can you?"

A deep chuckle escaped his lips, and the dusk good watched her in amusement. "No, little doe, I cannot. It is not that easy. It is _never_ that easy, not with me."

Madara's smirk widened as he watched her pretty lips turn into a pout. She swallowed hard before trying her best to look as confident as possible. "What do I need to do?"

So submissive, he mused gleefully. Her obedience would be her downfall, he realised – or his own.

Madara stepped closer to the young goddess until they were only inches apart. He could hear her breath hitch and see her eyes widen in anticipation.

He raised a hand and lifted up her chin. "You seem to have a certain effect on me, little doe; one that has allowed me to reawaken my full powers. It would be a shame to lose such a valuable influence. I shall keep you for now, and in turn, you can ask me whatever you want."

The dusk god's eyes landed on her enticing mouth as his thumb absentmindedly grazed over her bottom lip. His fingers then gripped her chin as he hummed deeply, "Let me show you what the heavens look like under my reign."

Madara returned his gaze to meet hers and let his Sharingan spin, sending the goddess into a deep slumber.

His strong arms immediately wrapped around her petite form, catching her unconscious body before it hit the ground and holding her securely to his chest, before the pair vanished in cloud of black.

* * *

When Sakura finally came to, she found herself in a spacious bedroom of an unfamiliar place. Letting her gaze wander around, she noticed everything was dark: from the furniture, to the colour of the pillars, and even the drapes fluttering in the wind.

Her eyes landed on the bedside table, and she immediately felt her stomach growl with hunger. On the table, there was a chalice filled with water and a golden bowl with fruit so juicy and ripe, it practically begged her to eat it.

Sakura took a grape and popped it in her mouth before eagerly gulping down all the water from the chalice. When she placed it back on the table, the goddess noticed something peculiar: the goblet magically refilled itself.

Sakura had witnessed her fellow gods do countless amazing feats, yet in her young years, she was still easily fascinated.

Emptying the cup once more to ease her thirst, she curiously watched it refill itself again as an amused smile graced her features. As she was about to put down the chalice, she noticed her kanzashi lying on the table.

Surprised, the young goddess ran a hand through her silky pink tresses only to realise that her hair was no longer pinned up. Instead, it cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall of sakura blossoms.

 _Did he take them out so that I might sleep better?_ Her lips curled into a warm smile at the thought of his caring nature.

Although Sakura had to admit to herself, what she had witnessed in the forest before he made her fall asleep was anything but caring. The moment he realised they were under attack, the dawn goddess could feel his anger spike as an aura of dread surrounded his being.

Sakura's brows were knitted in a frown thinking back to that moment.

As soon as they laid eyes on each other, she felt her heart pound so heavily she was afraid it might jump out of her chest. In that moment, she felt as if she had finally come home – not the palace in the East she grew up in, but to him. The instant she gazed into his dark eyes, Sakura felt as if she finally found the place where she belonged. Feeling so lost and purposeless all her life, she relished this sensation of belonging and security he seemed to instil in her.

Alas, their shared moment of closeness was disrupted and so was his calmness.

Sakura witnessed the dusk god go from serene to berserk in a matter of seconds. She was frightened and amazed at the same time that someone so breathtakingly beautiful could hold such a devastating power.

When her arms circled around his body it was more of a reflex. Sakura did not even know if it would have any effect on him, but she knew she had to do something to prevent him from taking another life. All the more surprising when she actually felt him calm down again.

The pink haired goddess thought by confronting the force in the West, she would finally get some answers. Yet it seemed this enigmatic dusk god only raised more questions.

Out of all the mysteries surrounding this deity, however, one was finally solved: now, she was certain the god from her recurring dream and the dusk god she met in the forest were one and the same being. The same aristocratic features, the same captivating eyes - and Sakura even finally knew the name of the mysterious figure: Madara. The question _why_ he haunted her dreams still remained, however.

 _No point racking my brain,_ Sakura thought to herself, _might as well go talk to him when he already did me the favour of bringing me to his home._

As the goddess got up from the bed, she expected a wave of dizziness to hit her as it always did when she got up from any reclined position. Yet she felt neither dizzy nor weak. Much like when she faced him in the forest, Sakura felt stronger than ever before. No trace of the frailty that had usually always weighed her down. It would seem her assumption was right: being in the presence of the dusk god did, for whatever baffling reason, make her stronger.

Sauntering through the dark halls of his palace, the petite goddess took in her surroundings. His home was constructed in the same magnificent style as the palace in the East she grew up in, but she noticed certain details that seemed older somehow, as if they belonged to some long forgotten era. The statues she passed were all wearing traditional armour and holding old weapons none of the dawn gods used anymore. The paintings on the walls sported images of mythical creatures she had never seen in her life.

One mural in particular caught her attention. It told the story of a great battle between a raven-haired god and a giant fox demon with 9 fiery tails.

Sakura could guess who that god was. She was going to have to ask him about how he survived facing such a ferocious beast.

Even though his palace was massive, Sakura had no problem navigating its many halls to find him. She clearly felt his presence on the northern side of his home.

The young goddess found him with his back turned to her, his attention focused on little wooden figures scattered around his bare feet.

"What is this?"

The raven-haired god took a sip of his wine when he felt her presence behind him. Keeping his gaze fixated on the pieces to his feet, he spoke, "That is not what I expected your first question to be after I whisked you away to my palace without your consent."

Madara turned to face the young goddess. "Are you not mad?" His deep voice taunted her.

She seemed to think for a moment, before shaking her head slightly. "Why should I be mad? You have not done anything to me."

"I tried to kill you", he deadpanned.

Sakura remembered the moment he was about to drive his sword through her back.

Although she had never been this close to dying, oddly enough, she did not feel afraid. Fr some inexplicable reason, the goddess knew she was safe in his presence, that he could not harm her even if he wanted to.

"You tried, and yet, you did not succeed."

Madara snorted at that. She behaved as if it were the most natural thing in the world that she just survived an attempt on her life – by him, no less. Why in the heavens was she not afraid of him?

He studied her face in hopes of finding any trace of deceit, anything that would betray some kind of ulterior motive she might have. Yet he found nothing save for that damned hopeful glimmer in her eyes, which he was sure was one day going to be the death of him.

Madara slowly approached the goddess before him, like a predator stalking his prey. Leaning in just enough for their noses to touch, he looked at her with hooded eyes and whispered, "And what makes you think I will not try to harm you again, little doe?"

Sakura swallowed hard and took a breath to calm herself. Her gaze darted back and forth between his mesmerising eyes and his inviting lips, who were just inches away. "B-Because… you could have let me sleep in a dungeon, instead… you put me to bed and draped a blanket over me so I would not get cold. And when I woke up… there was a fruit bowl next to the bed and a chalice of water that refilled itself no matter how much I drank… So something tells me you did not bring me here to harm me."

Sighing heavily, Madara forced himself to tear his gaze from the enticing goddess. He could easily lose himself in her eyes, especially when she looked up at him with that doe-eyed innocence of hers.

Taking another generous sip of his wine, he turned his attention to the pieces on the floor, when he heard her soft murmur. "Besides, I said I wanted answers, and I take it you brought me here to give them to me. So… here I am."

The dusk god couldn't help but let a deep chuckle escape his throat. With a seductive smile dangling on the corner of his lips, he turned to her again. "I merely said I _have_ what you seek. I never said I would _give_ anything to you, my little doe. I told you it is never that easy with me."

Sakura's lips turned into a pout when he rebuffed her attempt once again.

Her attention then shifted to his right hand when she saw him raise it to conjure a staff which he used to push around the pieces to his feet.

She had to get him talking somehow. Maybe she should start with easier questions he would have no reason to avoid.

"You never answered my question from before. What is that?"

Her curious gaze landed on the floor of the courtyard, which was adorned with markings and writings and had several little figures spread across it that resembled chess pieces.

"It is a map of the heavens," he explained as he pushed one of the figures eastward.

Madara watched her eyes light up in excitement as she hurried over and knelt down beside him.

"Really? I have never seen a map of the heavens. This is amazing," she gushed while running her fingers over an image of a mountain range. With childish glee, she looked at him as if he had just given her the world itself.

Madara had to bite back a smile at her adorable excitement. Who would have thought that a map he used to plan his war would give her such happiness?

"You have never seen a map of the heavens? How old are you exactly?" he teased with a grin.

"500. My birthday was three weeks ago. On the exact day the darkness covered the heavens, in fact."

Her answer stunned him. That day, 500 years ago… Her birthday was not the only remarkable thing that happened on that day all those centuries ago.

Madara's expression darkened thinking back to what had transpired. _Could it be a coincidence_ , he mused. _No, nothing happened without a reason_.

The dusk god was torn from his alarming thoughts when he saw her raise one of her delicate fingers and point to another image on the map. "What is the Valley of the End?" she asked curiously.

Memories of his most fabled battle flashed across his mind. Even though it was the only fight he did not win, Madara always fondly remembered it, as this was the one confrontation that cemented his reputation as the most feared of all the dusk gods.

"The Valley of the End is the site of the greatest battle to ever take place in the heavens. Its repercussions were so immense, they were felt in the mortal world below. Entire continents were torn apart. It was during the height of the reign of the dusk gods."

Madara saw her ears peek up in interest and her eyes widen with curiosity, urging him to tell her more.

"It was a fight between the two strongest dusk gods to ever grace the face of the heavens. One of them was the famed Hashirama. He was the legendary god of fire, among many things."

Sakura's eyes widened in realisation when she heard that name. Countless heroic tales were sung of the fabled dusk god Hashirama. Considering how famous he was, Sakura found it all the more peculiar that she never heard anything about such an earth-shattering battle.

"Who was his opponent?" Still kneeling beside the raven-haired god, she gazed up into his mesmerising black eyes.

"Me."

Madara watched her jade orbs widen in awe. Seeing this particular goddess so fascinated by his fighting prowess had his chest swelling with pride.

"Who won?"

"It was a draw. Hashirama and I were equal in strength. Always pushing the other to his absolute limits, yet never able to kill one another."

The young dawn goddess played with the ends of her silky pink hair as she contemplated her next question. She had to find out more about him in order to find out more about herself.

Clearing her throat, she raised her voice again. "So what are you the god of?"

Madara's lips curled into a smug grin as he gazed down at the peculiar goddess kneeling to his feet. "What do you think, little doe?"

She let her gaze wander across the courtyard, taking in their dark surroundings before she rested her eyes on him, scrutinising him from head to toe. Lips pursed, she was deep in thought trying to guess his true powers.

"Your entire palace is dark. Most of your robes are black. You are surrounded by an aura of gloom and you… bring death to everyone around you", she mused loudly.

"Almost everyone," he grinned wickedly down at her, making her blush profusely.

"I would say… you are the god of darkness, the god of war, and the god of death."

"Among many other things, yes."

Madara studied her fair face for a moment, waiting for fear to settle on her features. Yet her viridian eyes stared into his own with such confidence as if she had known him his entire life.

"And what is your divine purpose, my little doe?"

Frustration crinkled her eyes at the mention of her lack of powers. Madara watched her shoulders slump in defeat before she murmured, "I do not know."

Sighing heavily, Sakura got up from the floor and turned to face him. "I have no purpose. I have no abilities. Nothing," she lamented, waving her hands in frustration. "The elements do not react to me. There is nothing and no one that is subject to my will. The mortals do not pray to me for anything… they probably do not even know that I exist."

Slumping down on a bench, the dawn goddess stared at the hands in her lap, silently cursing their uselessness.

"I was named after the sakura tree, because my hair has the same colour as cherry blossoms. You would think that at least I would have some connection to them. But no, not even some silly tree I was named after wants to listen to me."

She suddenly felt his thumb softly caress her cheek before he lifted her chin to meet her gaze. The dusk god's terrifying eyes usually emitted fear and dread, yet now they showed understanding and support she never thought the god of death would ever be capable of.

"Do not fret, my little doe. I shall help you find your place in this universe," his deep voice assured her.

Seeing the little goddess so distraught and helpless awoke something deep within Madara he did not even know existed – the need to comfort her, to take away her pain and hold her until all she could think about was him.

He leaned in closer to her when a sudden explosion ripped through the outer walls of his abode. Madara turned his gaze southward, where he sensed the presence of Jiraiya and several other lesser gods.

His palace was under siege.

"Stay here," he growled. Sharingan spinning, he teleported himself to the site of the attack, leaving behind the startled goddess.

As he summoned a sea of black flames to engulf his enemies, he relished their desperate pleas and tortured cries. Madara was in a murderous frenzy at finally being able to unleash his full wrath upon the dawn gods that he almost missed the intruder approaching the North wing of his palace.

"Sakura." Her name escaped his lips in a whisper once he realised they were here for her. The attack on his palace was only a diversion to draw him out and to enable the intruder to take her away from him.

A protective instinct he never knew he had kicked in and a surge of concern rushed through his being while the dusk god bolted towards the courtyard.

Madara found her in the embrace of another god, the sight of which had his blood boiling with untameable rage. Once she sensed his presence, Sakura's worried gaze landed on him.

"Madara," she called out his name. Her arm stretched out towards him in a pleading gesture to rescue her, before she disappeared in a flash of lightning.

* * *

 **Note:** So instead of finally getting started on my 30 page history paper due in 9 days (somebody shoot me please), I finished chapter 4 of FDTD - AT LONG LAST! Talk about sorting out my priorities, am I right Ron?

I am so so sorry for making you wait this long :( I finally got into something that might remotely resemble a daily routine of this hellhole of a semester, so I _should_ (huuuuge emphasis on the subjunctive here) be able to update in more or less regular intervals.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and if you do, let me know. Getting reviews is literally the highlight of my day nowadays.


	5. Chapter 5

**Note:** Salutations, my lovelies. I'm back from the dead. So I know most of you will have probably forgotten this fic even exists (hell, even I forgot lol), but guess what - IT'S BACK BITCHES! I honestly have no idea what came over me today, but somehow I got reminded of this account and the fics I started here, so I decided to dig it up out of the depths of my browser history, and you know what? I totally forgot how much fun I had writing these and that daaaaaaamn I had some good stories going on, which were in desperate need of updating, if only to ease my guilty conscience.

Speaking of which, I honestly have no excuses for going AWOL for so long. I know some of you may have been bummed, because I think this fic did have a teeny tiny bit of a following, but honestly guys, this writing thing was only one of my many hobbies and it was never meant to take up too much of my time. It was one of these things I occasionaly devote my time to, but that was always doomed to be second place to my life/relationship/university responsibilites. But on the bright side, I did finally get my Bachelor's degree, whoooo! Buuuuuuuut I am still at uni doing my Master's, sooooo ya know - still not going to be a regular thing here.

Anyways, TL;DR: I wanted to update this little nugget here out of pure nostalgia and curiosity to see how many of you will still remember the story, to see how many will appreciate and like this update (also I read all your reviews and comments that came in since I logged out last time - THANK YOU YOU AMAZING HUMAN BEINGS I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND PLEASE DON'T EAT YOURSELF THE UPDATE IS FINALLY HERE!) and depending on your reaction, I might actually take up writing again. Goodie, I'm excited to be back. Have fun! :)

* * *

 _500 years ago…_

The heavens stood still.

Silence.

Death.

Victory.

Tsunade watched a tired Jiraiya fall to his knees and let out a pained groan. Allowing a nervous sigh to escape her lips, she closed her eyes.

They did it. They finally did it. After decades of warfare, bloodshed, and carnage, they finally managed to seal away the bane of their existence.

 _The last of the dusk gods had fallen._

Opening her eyes again, she let her tired gaze wander across the scene of their final battle. Slain gods lay scattered across the barren field, the ashen ground beneath them stained in the colour of their blood. Giant craters burning with the dreaded flames of the underworld tore through the otherwise idyllic scenery of the heavens like wounds from blade. The black flames of the dusk god's feared Amaterasu eating up what little was left of the trees that once made this surrounding a forest.

It matters not, she kept telling herself. He is gone. And the dawn gods shall rebuild.

Just as Tsunade was about to join Jiraiya to take a look at his wounds, an ear-piercing screeching tore through her head, forcing her to her knees. Barely managing to open her eyes against the penetrating pain in her mind, she watched the other surviving gods around her writhe and hold their heads in agony.

All of a sudden, the screeching ebbed, giving way to a low hissing sound before a mysterious voice whispered into all of their ears:

 _At the fall of dusk, at the fall of old, spring shall bring forth his keeper,_

 _who will call to him until his return at the night the darkness swallows the heavens._

 _Young and weak, the Eastern light shall seek out the old power in the West,_

 _who will envelop her in darkness to unleash their true might._

 _Dawn will be his light, and dusk shall return._

It was only when the throbbing pain in her head finally dissipated that Tsunade dared to look up. The remaining gods looked at each other questioningly.

They were familiar with this pain, with this feeling. The hissing voice in their head. The dawn gods all knew what this was.

A prophecy. Foreshadowing the return of Madara.

* * *

The survivors did what they could to tend to the wounded on the battlefield. When no one else could be saved, the gods set them aflame and watched their bodies dissipate into golden dust, releasing their divine essence into the vast expanse of the universe, praying for them to be reborn again. Then, they retreated to their respective homes – or what was left of them – to lick their wounds, celebrate their survival, and grieve the death of the fallen.

Tsunade felt a heavy sadness weighing down her heart that night. Despite their unimaginable victory over the mightiest god to ever grace the face of the heavens, they had lost so many. She knew more peaceful times lay ahead of them now, and yet she felt restless. It had been ages since the universe had whispered a prophecy into their ears. And this one was particularly unsettling.

 _Dusk shall return._

But they sealed him, Tsunade reminded herself. And with one of Hashirama's seals, no less. She was the one who studied the dusk god's inscriptions, who knew his incantations like the back of her hand. She was certain Hashirama's seal would be enough to imprison Madara for the rest of his miserable days.

And yet, mere minutes after the dawn gods managed the unthinkable and sealed away the last dusk god, the universe decided to warn them of his return. And prophecies always came true, the dawn goddess knew that much.

Not only that, but the prophecy also spoke of some Eastern light, who would supposedly help him unleash his true might. A cold shiver ran down Tsunade's spine at the thought of Madara teaming up with such a force of nature that will grant him even more fearsome powers than he already had.

Yet the goddess of healing had no time to dwell on her worrisome thoughts, as her mind picked up the desperate prayer of a mortal couple. Never one to abandon the ones in need, the blonde goddess raced down into the mortal realm and materialised unseen in the living room of a small hut. She watched the couple on their knees, huddled together in front of the fire. They were rocking back and forth, with the woman holding a small bundle in her arms and the man raising one arm pleadingly into the air, calling out to the goddess of healing to save this poor baby.

This baby? Is that not their own child, Tsunade thought suspiciously. Babies do not just fall from the heavens.

Taking one step closer to the fire, the goddess suddenly felt a divine glow emanating from the bundle in the woman's arms. Tsunade would recognise that anywhere – the essence of the gods. This was indeed not the mortal couple's child, but a newborn of the dawn gods.

Still hidden from the mortal's view, she leaned down and caught a glimpse of pink hair and emerald green eyes, staring knowingly, yet tiredly at her. As Tsunade stretched out a hand towards the babe to check its body temperature, a tiny chubby fist suddenly enclosed her index finger. This little touch was enough to flood the goddess with a feeling of warm motherly love.

Tsunade knew in that instant that this deity shall be hers to raise, care for, and love.

With her divine power, she mentally reached out to the mortals and willed them to lay the small bundle on the floor by the fire. She watched them carefully lower the baby and step back from the fire, worriedly glancing around the living room and waiting for something to happen.

In the blink of an eye, the small bundle was gone. The couple sighed in relief and fell into each other's arms, knowing their beloved goddess of healing would take care of that weak little girl.

* * *

"Do you really think that was a wise choice?"

Tsunade ignored Jiraiya's incessant nagging and kept bouncing the little babe on her arm. Immediately after taking the young goddess from the mortal's hut, she returned home to her half-standing palace in the East, where some of the surviving gods have retreated to recuperate. One of them being Kakashi, the feared god of lightning, who was pinning her with a scrutinising gaze.

"Jiraiya's right, you know. Tonight, of all nights, with this new prophecy looming above our heads… Have you even thought for a second that she could be this Eastern light, his keeper that was prophesised?"

Tsunade scoffed and shot him a challenging glare. "Please, Kakashi, don't be paranoid. It was just one of the millions of prayers I receive every day. Only this time, it happened to involve a newly born dawn goddess, instead of a weak mortal. Just because she is one of us, does not mean she is tied to the prophecy. In fact, we should be thankful our pantheon is growing again after we lost so many."

"The prophecy clearly said that at the fall of dusk some kind of keeper will emerge who is destined to help Madara unleash his full power upon the heavens. The fall of dusk was tonight, and after decades of no new deities, tonight is the night the universe decides to give us a new goddess, during spring no less? Coincidences like these might happen to the mortals but not in the heavens," Shikamaru grumbled before taking a well-deserved puff from his ivory _kiseru_.

Rolling her eyes at the god of wisdom and strategy, Tsunade switched the little bundle to her other arm and kept bouncing her up and down, before she said, "What you all fail to see is that she cannot be the Easter light from the prophecy, since I found her in a mortal village in the middle of nowhere, not even remotely close to anywhere East. And don't you think that if such a powerful force destined to be tied to Madara emerged that we would not have felt its birth? Elemental abnormalities, time standing still, earthquakes – anything that might indicate a new divine force has emerged. But there was absolutely nothing when this little goddess here was born. In fact, she is so tiny and weak, I honestly doubt that she will have a purpose grander than making flowers grow, that's how harmless she is."

Tsunade saw the uncertain faces around her, their doubtful gazes boring into her determination to keep the babe. She had to convince them, somehow. She could not just leave a part of her divine family, especially now that her kin was nearly wiped out. As soon as the young goddess had touched her, Tsunade felt responsible for her. She had to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of her head screaming at her to listen to the prophecy.

Yes, there were too many coincidences, Tsunade had to admit that herself. The prophecy clearly talks of a female, emerging during this particular night, during spring. All of which applied to the little dawn goddess in her arms.

But there was no way she could be the Eastern light; the goddess was not tied to any particular region. And Tsunade could not – for the life of her – imagine this tiny, frail little thing would be capable of stoking the fire of Madara's wrath to the point that she would be the one to unleash his true might.

Shaking away her doubts, Tsunade gazed into the tired emeralds of the little girl in her arms. A smile spread across her lips when the tiny goddess snuggled closer to her chest.

There was absolutely no way she would abandon this little thing, not now after she lost so many of her family.

Raising her head, she shot a determined glance at all of the surviving deities in her presence and exclaimed, "I will not resign this precious goddess to a prophecy we have not even fully deciphered yet. None of us know what half of that steaming pile of donkey dung even means, so nobody is going to determine her fate based on any of that. Besides, even if she really _is_ this keeper of his, this way we can at least raise her on our side. Teach her our story, our ways, our kindness. She will never be corrupted by him if we have the power to tell her the things we want her know. If he really does come back and they really do cross paths, there is no way she will choose him. I will tie her to me as tightly as she tied me to her."

Lowering her caramel eyes, she cast a loving glance at the newest addition to her family and whispered softly, "I will protect my daughter from him. No matter what."

* * *

 _Went to him… willingly … kidnapped … she chose him … sacrifice …_

Sakura's muddled mind started picking up fragments of speech as she slowly started to wake from her slumber. Forcing her weak body to sit up, she cast a disoriented glance around her only to find herself in her chambers at her mother's palace.

All of a sudden, memories started flooding her mind and she felt her heart rate pick up.

 _Madara._

She finally met him. She was in his palace. She was so close to getting some answers. A blush crept up her neck at the thought of his calloused fingers holding her chin in place as he was leaning closer to her, before… Before the dawn gods laid siege to his palace to take her away from him.

Wait, from him? Where did that thought come from? Since when did Sakura think she belonged by his side? She had only known him for a few moments and from what she had seen on the battlefields, he was not a god whose company she should be yearning for. And yet, she had never felt so strong, so alive as when being close to him.

And now that they were separated, her old familiar frailty had returned as well.

The young dawn goddess could feel frustration bubble up inside her. Rarely did she get mad at something or someone, but her constant state of weakness had been a source of anger for all of her short life. And the one being who could rectify that just had to be her mother's mortal enemy and the one who had been waging war against her kin for the last weeks.

Sakura felt like throwing something against the wall. Alas, all the smashable things in her room were solid gold or heavy ivory, all of which was too difficult for her to even pick up now. In Madara's presence, however, she felt like she could carry the entire heavens on her shoulders.

Her depressing thoughts were interrupted when she felt the voices on the other side of her door grow louder.

"Look what Tsunade's tying down has brought us. She went to him, willingly. All that keeping her close was for nothing!"

"She is so weak, she cannot even open doors without struggling, and you really think she made that trip all the way to the Western end of the heavens on her own? He clearly kidnapped her. We are lucky he left her alive for whatever reason."

"Then tell me why she was reaching out to him when I-"

The angry voices were silenced when her mother suddenly burst through the doors and stomped into her room, glowering at Sakura with a furious expression.

"What in the heavens were you thinking?!"


End file.
